


A reason to suffer

by InexorablyUs



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Happy Juggie, POV Jughead Jones, Post 1x13, Post Season 1, Prom, super duper fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 18:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11856948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InexorablyUs/pseuds/InexorablyUs
Summary: To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.– Friedrich NietzscheJughead takes Betty to her prom night.





	A reason to suffer

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, friend! So, I was think of doing a series of one shots inspired by Nietzsche quotes, because they are great, and because I didn't spend months learning to spell his name for nothing.   
> I'll see how that turns out.
> 
> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> Enjoy! ~

_To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering._

_– Friedrich Nietzsche_

***

Prom was almost a foreign word to him.

Prom meant putting on a suit. Prom meant dancing. Prom meant talking to people. Prom meant buying flowers. Prom meant having a date.

Yeah, not really his kind of stuff.

Well, until Betty that is.

Now, he was in front of his mirror, struggling with his bow tie, readjusting his beanie and trying to tame his hair (which he fairly quickly gave up). He had borrowed a suit from Archie, as well as dress shoes, even though he was still convinced they were the devil incarnate. He’d even bought a bouquet of flowers for Betty.

He was taking her to prom. Well, _her_ prom. Having been transferred to Southside High, his prom had occurred a few days before (he didn’t tell Betty).

He looked at the Serpent jacket on his bed, looking back at the painful months when he had to adapt to his new life.

Yeah, pretty much everything had changed.

Sighing, he checked one last time if he was looking okay, and, after promising his foster parents that he wouldn’t be back too late, he took the car keys and the flowers and left.

This time he couldn’t count on FP to drive them to school. This time, FP was in prison and he was the one to drive.

He got at her house ten minutes early, and he wondered if he should wait for his watch to hit 7pm, as planned, or just ring the doorbell. He silently rolled his eyes at his own stupid nervousness and just rang the damn bell.

Alice Cooper opened the door less than a second after, like she’d been waiting right next to it. Wouldn’t have surprised him, to be honest. In a voice as frosty as ever, she said, “Hello, Jughead.”

“Hi, Mrs. Cooper,” he greeted back, forcing himself to smile. “Um, is Betty ready?”

Before the woman could answer, he heard Betty’s voice from the first floor. “Mom, is it Jughead?”

When Alice answered that yes, it was him, he heard hurried steps upstairs and Polly’s voice saying “Betty, I’m not done with the blush!” and her answering to just give up on that. Now he felt bad for not waiting those ten minutes.

Of course, all those thoughts completely disappeared when she ran down the stairs, her golden curls bouncing freely at each step. She looked… astonishingly beautiful. He managed to keep his mouth closed, but his throat dried, and he swallowed hard to soothe it.

She was wearing a pastel blue dress he hadn’t see in her closet. It was completely made of very pale blue tulle over white fabric, flaring from the large sky-blue waistband all the way to under her knees. With her eyeliner, pearl earrings, classic curls and red lips, she looked like she came straight out of the 50’s.

“Wow, Betts, you look… wow.”

Her smile grew even bigger as she came to kiss the corner of his lips. “Thank you. You look pretty damn good too.”

He did _not_ blush (or just a tiny bit). Clearing his throat, he offered her the flowers, which she took happily, saying that they were beautiful. _Not as beautiful as you_ , he thought. Then he wrinkled his nose at how cheesy that sounded. He waited as she put them in a vase, then Alice took the mandatory photo of the couple, and they were good to go.

They hopped in the car for the short drive from the Cooper’s house to Riverdale High. The school was a nostalgic place to him, filled with happy and sad moments, laughs and tears, friendship and rivalry. It was also a painful reminder of the events that made him change school.

Thankfully, before he could fall into melancholia, he’d parked the car and Betty saw Veronica waiting for them in front of the steps. Grabbing his hand with a smile that made him melt, she hurried on joining the raven-haired girl. She was wearing a black dress that followed the curves of her body, with long gloves and high heels —very high heels.

“Wow, V, you look amazing!” Betty chirped, taking the other girl’s hands.

“Speak for yourself, you look like an angel, B.” Jughead stood by Betty’s side, a hand on her back, as the two girls talked about their looks.

He was saved by the arrival of Archie, a few minutes later. “Good evening, ladies.” He hugged both girls. “Should we go in?”

Minutes later, the four friends were inside, Veronica and Archie on the dance floor and Jughead and Betty sitting on the side, chatting. She had rested her hand on his shoulder, fingers playing with his, and he could as well have been liquid.

She told him about how things were in school now that he wasn’t here, how Cheryl was nicer to her recently, how Kevin had gotten a new boyfriend — Mark, or Marco, or something among those lines. To be completely honest, Jughead was far too focused on the feeling of Betty’s body against his to pay full attention to small talk.

“Have you changed shampoo?” he asked out of the blue.

That earned him a small affectionate laugh that went straight to his heart. She looked at him through her mascara-coated lashes. “Have you been wondering if I’d changed my shampoo since I’ve started talking?”

He feigned being offended, dramatically putting a hand on his heart. “Betty, are accusing me not to listen to you?”

“Yes,” she tried to snap, but she was giggling.

“You know I’d never want to miss any details of Kevin’s love life!”

She laughed again, shoving his shoulder playfully as she rolled her eyes. “You’re such a dork.”

He grinned at his girlfriend.

As Betty kissed his chin, he noticed that a slow dance was playing, the only dance he knew he could dance without making a fool of himself. “Should we dance?”

Her smile spread as she took his hand, jumping to her feet. They joined all the couples dancing, Veronica and Archie included, on the dance floor. Jughead put a hand on Betty’s waist and brought her body closer to his. She rested her chin on his chest, looking at him as they moved slowly.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Juggie,” she whispered, her eyes shining with happiness.

He felt her breath against his lips, and he couldn’t help it, he lowered his head and pecked her — he might love her, but he still wasn’t big on PDA. When he opened his eyes, she was pouting at the lack of heat in that kiss. Chuckling, he dipped his lips to her ear and murmured into it. “Later, love.”

That seemed to satisfy her, and — after another chaste kiss — she settled on his chest and he rested his head on hers. Sighing contently, he let his hold tighten on her, and she did the same, nestling against him. He loved having her like this — relaxed and feeling safe with him.

As they gently danced, Jughead caught Archie staring at Betty and him with an… odd look. He couldn’t put a word on it, but he didn’t like it. Archie seemed to notice him and quickly averted his eyes, obviously embarrassed. Frowning, Jughead forced his attention back to the girl in his arms — wasn’t too hard — pressing a kiss in her hair.

“What are you doing?” he softly asked when he saw she was pressing her ear against his chest.

Her voice was muffled by his suit when she answered. “I’m listening to your heartbeat.”

He smiled against her hair. “Is it telling you all my darkest secrets, Betty Cooper?”

She raised her head so she could see his eyes. He could see her put on her best fake wounded-puppy expression, and had to bit his lips to stop his laughter. “I can’t believe you’d lie to me, telling me I was number one in your heart, Juggie.”

“You are, though,” he amended, playing her game.

She scoffed. “Tell that to Pop’s burgers.”

He laughed out loud — and Betty too.

***

 

Overall, their evening had been great, even though it felt weird to admit. Except that girl who’d started crying because her boyfriend dumped her, and a few odd glances from Archie, it had been pretty amazing, actually.

Archie and Veronica had been crowned king and queen, and Kevin had introduced his new boyfriend — whose name was actually Marcus. More importantly, he’d spend the night making Betty laugh, and he’d laughed with her.

He also got to kiss her properly before dropping her off.

Tomorrow, he would be reminded of the harsh reality — his father in prison, his lack of real friends in Southside High, his new unsettling duties in the Serpents, his mother still not wanting anything to do with him.

However, he also knew that tomorrow, when he woke up, he would have a text from Betty, telling him she couldn’t wait to see him, and that she loved him. He’d have one from Archie or Fred, asking if he wanted to come eat pizza at their place.

And that made it all worth it. If it meant having his two bestfriends — one of them being his girlfriend — with him, maybe it wasn't all so bad. They gave him a reason to live.

 

_To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering._

_– Friedrich Nietzsche_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


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